One of the oldest skills and one of the most basic to human survival, Agriculture deals with the raising of crops for sustenance and raw materials. Planting, tending, harvesting, storage, and
basic preparation for use all fall under this skill. Agriculture also encompasses the use and maintenance of associated farm machinery, such as threshers and cultivators.
Typical Actions: Assessing the condition of crops, soil, or agricultural facilities is a simple action (AWA). Tending crops is an incremental action (COG) with a period measured in weeks; usually, the total amount of time available for this action is limited by the local growing season. Harvesting crops is an incremental action (FIT for manual labor, CDN with mechanical assistance).
Animal Husbandry
Almost as old as Agriculture, Animal Husbandry involves the care, feeding, and breeding of living creatures for food or work. This skill also includes basic practical knowledge of veterinary medicine, though anything more complicated than minor illness or slight wounds requires the Medicine/Veterinary qualifi cation.
Typical Actions: Assessing the condition and value of an animal is a simple action (AWA). Breeding, raising, and tending animals are all incremental actions (COG) with periods measured in weeks or months, depending on how rapidly the animals in question mature. Slaughtering and butchering an animal for food or other products is a simple action (MUS).
Aquatics
This skill encompasses a set of related capabilities for maneuvering on and in the water, including both swimming and the handling of small watercraft (anything 20 meters or less in length). A character skilled in Aquatics is also versed in survival in open water.
Typical Actions: Staying afl oat and moving on the surface of the water is a simple action (MUS). A character’s maximum swimming speed in meters per tick is equal to the number of dice he rolls for Aquatics tasks (so a character with a Professional rating swims at 3 meters per tick). Maneuvering a watercraft is a simple action (MUS for manually- and wind-powered craft, CDN for motorized ones). Fishing is a simple action (RES).
SCUBA Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents training in the use of underwater breathing gear for dives down to about 50 meters. Swimming with SCUBA gear is similar to ordinary swimming: a simple action (MUS). Recharging and maintaining SCUBA gear is a simple action (COG). Archery A skilled archer is capable of using and maintaining bows and crossbows, as well as creating ammunition for them. Creating a new bow or crossbow is a function of the Artisan (Bowyer) cascade. Typical Actions: Making arrows or bolts from raw materials is a simple action (COG). Attacks are detailed in Chapter Six. Artillery
Artillery governs the use and maintenance of indirect-fi re modern weapons, including rockets, howitzers, and mortars. The basic skill provides profi ciency only with “dumb” or unguided munitions. Typical Actions: Attacks with artillery weapons are detailed in Chapter Six. Performing maintenance or repairs on an artillery piece is a simple action (COG). Calling for or adjusting fi re as a forward observer is a simple action (COG). Guided Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents additional training in the targeting and use of advanced guided munitions. All uses of Artillery with this qualifi cation are the same as those of the basic skill.
Artisan (Cascade)
Artisan covers a wide variety of skill sets related to the creation of works of physical or literary beauty and of simple functional objects. Many Artisan cascades are archaic and were largely replaced by mass production in the pre-Last War world,
Skill List
Agriculture Animal Husbandry Aquatics (Qualifi cation: SCUBA) Archery Artillery (Qualifi cation: Guided) Artisan (Cascade) Aviation (Qualifi cations: Heavy, Performance, Rotary, Remote) Climbing Command Computing (Qualifi cation: Programming) Construction (Qualifi cation: Demolition) Deception Driving (Qualifi cations: Heavy, Motorcycle, Remote, Tracked) Electronics Fieldcraft Forensics (Qualifi cation: Forgery) Freefall (Qualifi cation: Tactical) Gunnery (Qualifi cation: Guided) Hand-to-Hand (Qualifi cation: Grappling) Hand Weapons (Qualifi cation: Grappling) Instruction Intimidation Language (Cascade) Longarm Mechanics (Qualifi cations: Aviation, Industrial, Machinist, Nautical) Medicine (Qualifi cations: Surgery, Veterinary) Mounts (Qualifi cation: Teamster) Performance (Cascade) Persuasion (Qualifi cation: Psychiatry) Seamanship (Qualifi cations: Remote, Sailing, Submersible) Security Sidearm Special Equipment (Cascade) Special Vehicle (Cascade; Qualifi cation: Remote) Streetcraft Support Weapons (Qualifi cation: Guided) Tactics81
but their remaining practitioners are now in high demand after centuries of decline. At the GM’s discretion, a Artisan cascade may cover a specifi c sub-set of the Mechanics skill, such as gunsmithing or machining. Typical Actions: Creating a functional object or work of art is either an instant or incremental action, depending on the item’s complexity (variable attributes, depending on the nature of the act of creation). Appraising an item is a simple action (EDU), as is critiquing a work of art (COG).
Sample Cascades: Basketry, Blacksmithing, Bowyery, Brewing, Carpentry, Cinematography, Fiction Writing, Gem Cutting, Glassblowing, Glasscutting, Gunsmithing, Knitting, Leatherworking, Locksmithing, Machining, Painting, Photography, Poetry, Sculpture, Silversmithing, Tailoring, Videography, Watchsmithing, Welding, Woodcarving. Aviation This skill governs all actions related to powered fl ight. The basic Aviation skill enables the character to pilot all light airplanes (subsonic passenger or cargo craft possessing fi xed wings and no more than two engines). Various qualifi cations, in the most literal sense, indicate that the pilot is type-qualifi ed on more complex airframes. In addition, Aviation covers air navigation and basic preventive maintenance, though any heavy maintenance or repair work requires the Mechanics/Aviation qualifi cation.
Typical Actions: Maneuvering an aircraft is a simple action (CDN). Prefl ight inspections and preventive maintenance are both instant actions (respectively AWA and COG).
Heavy Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents additional training on heavy and multi-engine fi xed-wing aircraft (those possessing more than two engines). All uses of Aviation with this qualifi cation are the same as those of the basic skill.
Performance Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents additional training on aerobatic jets and combat aircraft. All uses of Aviation with this qualifi cation are the same as those of the basic skill. Rotary Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents additional training on helicopters. All uses of Aviation with this qualifi cation are the same as those of the basic skill. Remote Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents additional training on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), enabling remote operation of all aircraft that the character could normally fl y. All uses of Aviation with this qualifi cation are the same as those of the basic skill.
Climbing
Climbing encompasses all attempts to ascend and descend surfaces or solid objects, including trees, ropes, cargo nets, rock walls, and so forth. In addition, a character skilled in Climbing knows how to rig and maintain harnesses, ropes, and other climbing gear, including improvising temporary gear from available materials.
Typical Actions: Ascending or descending is a simple action (MUS). A character’s maximum ascent speed is equal to half the number of dice he rolls for Climbing tasks (so a character with a Professional rating ascends at 2 meters per tick). A character’s maximum descent speed is equal to the number of dice he rolls for Climbing tasks, plus his Muscle attribute value. Rigging climbing equipment is a simple action (COG).
Command
The art of issuing orders that social or organizational subordinates (and, on occasion, superiors) will obey is the essence of Command. This skill also includes the ability to effi ciently organize groups and delegate individual parts of the total group effort.
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Typical Actions: Organizing a large-scale effort is an incremental action that occurs in conjunction with all the other actions involved with the effort (PER or EDU, depending on whether the work is primarily physical or intellectual). Inspiring an audience to adopt a certain course of action through leadership and example is a simple action (PER). Rallying a panicked ally is a simple action (RES). In addition, leadership of a large-scale project involving dozens of participants is dependent on Command (see sidebar).
Computing
A character skilled in Computing knows how to work with computer systems to make them function as designed. This includes the use of all modern methods of input: mouse and keyboard interaction, touch-screens, voice recognition, retinal tracking, and gesture recognition. With the diverse array of operating systems and applications on the market in the early 2010s, Computing enables a character not only to use familiar systems, but also to intuit the manner in which unfamiliar ones operate. Additionally, this skill includes a basic familiarity with computer hardware and its installation and maintenance.
Typical Actions: Using an application is an instant or incremental action (EDU), depending on the complexity of the task the character wants to accomplish. Hacking a secure system is an incremental action (COG). Setting up, breaking down, and maintaining computer hardware are all instant actions. Setting up a network is an incremental action (COG) requiring one successful check per computer on the network. Falsifying electronic data is an incremental action (COG). Creating a mathematical code is an incremental action (EDU). Discovering falsifi ed data and breaking a code are likewise incremental actions (respectively, COG and EDU), each of which has a target total equal to the number of successful checks that the original forger or encoder made.
Programming Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents formal or informal training in the creation and modifi cation of software. It includes a working knowledge of a handful of modern programming languages, as well as general design theory. Additional Computing tasks possible with this qualifi cation include reprogramming existing applications and creating new ones, both incremental actions (COG).
Construction
The creation, maintenance, repair, and destruction of structures all fall under Construction. This skill encompasses related tasks that fall under both civil engineering and combat engineering professions (the purely academic aspects of civil engineering are functions of Education).
Typical Actions: Assessing the physical condition of a structure, including its load-bearing ability, suitability as shelter, potential for salvage after demolition, and value for concealment or cover, is a simple action (AWA). Building a structure from plans is an incremental action (MUS for physical labor, CDN for mechanized labor). Improvising a temporary structure is an incremental action (MUS for physical labor, CDN for mechanized labor). Safely demolishing a structure to salvage raw materials is an incremental action (MUS for physical labor, CDN for mechanized labor).
Demolition Qualifi cation: This qualifi cation represents specifi c training in the use of explosives. Rigging charges to demolish a specifi c structure is a simple action (COG). Creating an improvised explosive device (IED) is a simple action (CDN). Disabling a charge or defusing an IED is a simple action (COG), or an incremental action (RES) if the item is booby-trapped. Creating new explosive material from raw chemicals is a function of the Education attribute and appropriate degrees.